In an apparatus or instrument, and the like, which has a movable part that is capable of moving mechanically, the movable part becomes an oscillation source, and so it is often the case that vibrations arise more or less in various parts. Such vibrations are not preferable, because they make the cause of various noises, or lead to the degradation, and so forth, of fatigue strength. Hence, damping members that inhibit those vibrations have been used variously. For example, when being a member for which mechanical characteristics, such as strength and rigidity, are not required so much, and whose service environment (service atmosphere, for instance) is mild or gentle, a resinous member that is likely to absorb vibrations, or a workpiece using that resin partially (a damping steel board in which a resinous member is held between steel plates, for instance), has been used as a damping material.
However, such a damping member cannot be used easily for members for which mechanical characteristics like strength and so on are required, and which are employed in high-temperature atmospheres, and hence it is often the case a damping member comprising a metallic material has been used therefor. As for such a damping material, the following have also been proposed: a damping alloy that is based on Mn (e.g., Patent Literature No. 1); an iron alloy that includes expensive Co or Cr in a greater amount relatively (e.g., Patent Literature No. 2 or Patent Literature No. 3); and the like. However, such damping materials are not preferable, because the raw-material costs are higher.
Hence, iron alloys, which are less expensive relatively in terms of the raw-material costs as well as which are good in terms of the mechanical characteristics, such as the strength, the heat resistance and further the processability, and so forth, are proposed in Patent Literature Nos. 4 through 7 listed below.    Patent Literature No. 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 7-242,977;    Patent Literature No. 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 2005-226,126;    Patent Literature No. 3: Japanese Examined Patent Publication (KOKOKU) Gazette No. 52-1,683;    Patent Literature No. 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 4-63,244;    Patent Literature No. 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 6-100,987;    Patent Literature No. 6: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) Gazette No. 2001-59,139; and    Patent Literature No. 7: International Publication Gazette No. WO2006/085,609